


Kat

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cat/Human Hybrids, Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 13:37:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18852154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Noctis is a sneaky kitty.





	Kat

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

It’s ridiculously easy to hide when he’s in his second form: small and sleek and blacker than shadows. He can rush down the towering corridors of the Citadel without making a single sound, then swiftly duck under the nearest ornament whenever someone walks by. His hearing is also better when he’s listening with large, upright, triangular ears instead of rounded human ones, so he knows when someone’s coming before they even round the corner. He ducks behind a particularly ornate planter and curls his tail around his legs, going absolutely still. 

“You don’t understand,” the first voice murmurs, coming just within rang. “This is the third evening in a row he’s neglected his studies. How is he ever going to rule the kingdom if he can’t even finish a basic history course?”

“Relax, Iggy,” the second voice grunts, larger and gruffer. “He might be a prince, but he’s also still a teenager. It’s normal to play hooky every once in a while.”

“Hmph. I never did anything of the sort, and I didn’t have half his responsibilities.”

“Exactly.” 

They come into view, but Noctis squints so his yellow eyes won’t stand out so clearly. Gladiolus looks extraordinarily enormous when Noctis is in cat-form, and the floppy dog ears on his head and fluffy tail wagging behind him don’t help that imposing feeling. 

Ignis, on the other hand, is tall but trim with perfectly groomed cat ears and thin tail. A fellow feline should really understand Noctis’ plight better, but it seems there’s no loyalty among Noctis’ litter. He knows that if Ignis catches him, it’s game over. He’ll be dragged right back into the royal library and forced to suffer through endless notes and lectures of the most boring kind. That was all well and good _before_ he made a friend, but now he’s had a taste of _normal_ life, and he craves it more than the little fish-shaped treats Gladiolus gives him when he wins a training match.

Gladiolus and Ignis pause at the end of the hallway, which has Noctis cursing in his head—there’s no way he’ll be able to sneak past them without getting caught. They bicker a little more over the importance of finding their prince, and then they carry on into the lobby of the Citadel. Noctis carefully creeps on after them, then waits around the corner, just barely peeking around it. The place is relatively empty, save for his two retainers and two guards facing out the doors. Once he’s made it out into the open air, Noctis knows he’ll be home free. He just has to make it that far.

Right on time, the wide doors push open. Ignis and Gladiolus are still locked in their discussion while Prompto wanders uncertainly into the lobby. It’s not his first time, but it is his first time unaccompanied. Normally, a commoner would never be allowed inside unsupervised, _especially_ a scruffy puppy, but the royal collar Noctis gifted him seems to have done the trick. The guards don’t look twice at him. Prompto looks around, spots Ignis and Gladio, and freezes.

Noctis runs for it. He bolts around the corner, dashing across the polished floor faster than the Regalia. Prompto’s head swivels around, and he hurriedly unzips the large duffle bag at his side just in time. Noctis takes a flying leap and lands on the soft pile of clothes inside the bag. The roof of it zips halfway closed above him, shutting out most of the light. Noctis flattens into the cramped nest and listens.

“Oh, Prompto,” Ignis’ voice cuts in, barely a second after Noctis’ daring escape. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Noctis has gotten off to, would you?”

“What?” Prompto nervously laughs. “I just got here—haven’t seen him all day.”

Gladiolus asks, “And what _are_ you doing here?”

“I, uh... came to see if Noct was around... we wanted to go to the arcade, so...”

“Absolutely not. He needs to study.”

Prompto awkwardly laughs again. “Oh, right. Well, uh, I’ll just be going then... tell him I said hi?”

Noctis doesn’t have to see it to know that Ignis is likely squinting suspiciously. But it seems to work. The bag starts moving, so Noctis assumes Prompto’s leaving the Citadel, and sure enough, he soon sees the sky through the remaining crack rather than the glimmering ceiling of the Citadel.

Noctis takes the long, bumpy ride for a considerable time before Prompto stops moving. Then Prompto sighs, “Phew, I can’t believe that worked!”

Noctis can. His plan was genius. He waits until Prompto unzips the bag and carefully lifts him out—a weird sensation in and off itself, being manhandled by his best friend’s giant human hands while he’s tiny. Prompto sets him down on the pavement of a nondescript back alley, and Noctis lets himself transform back into the teenage human he normally is. He shakes his hair out, always feeling odd once the ears are freshly gone, not to mention the tail.

Then he flashes Prompto a wide grin. “Thanks for smuggling me out.”

“No prob, bud. So... arcade?”

“Hell yeah; let’s go win another Justice Monsters scratching post!”

Prompto laughs, and the two of them set off to go be normal hooligans.


End file.
